Vegan Carrot Cake

If you’re a fan of meal prep, then this recipe is great to cook at the beginning of a busy work week. It’s great as a grab-and-go snack, and a lot healthier than store bought cakes, that are packed full of additives and preservatives. I find you always have a little proud moment when you bake a cake from scratch!

By using whole wheat flour, many vitamins and nutrients remain intact, compared to white flour, which is heavily stripped of its nutrient value. One cup of whole wheat flour contains almost 60% of your recommended daily intake (RDI) of manganese.

Manganese has a lot of roles to play in the body, one of which is to help metabolize carbohydrates and fats. When metabolism is accelerated, you can more readily convert the food you eat into energy. Manganese also helps to absorb calcium, assists with the regulation of hormones, including the healthy functioning of the thyroid.

Almond meal is fantastic for boosting levels of vitamin E, magnesium and calcium. In fact, one cup of almond meal is going to provide you with over 100% of your RDI of vitamin E.

If you do have irregular periods, an increase in vitamin E in your diet, will help to get your cycle back on track. Vitamin E and has also been recognized as a powerful antioxidant and great as an anti-ageing agent. Of course almond milk also holds all of these great properties.

Just like whole wheat flour, buckwheat flour has been recognized as a good source of manganese, with over 30% of your RDI per cup. It also contains close to 30% of your RDI of copper per cup.

Copper is essential for energy production, healthy skin, and to help form red blood cells for immunity. Whole grains are all a great source of fiber, which is great for improving digestion and helps to absorb vitamins and minerals.

Omega-3 fats are essential to the diet, as they assist in a wide range of functions throughout the body, including cognitive function, protection against heart disease and creating strong and healthy bones.

Made with whole wheat and a combination of gluten free flours, this vegan carrot cake it's so much lighter than the classic version, while also packed with fiber, omega-3 and essential minerals. Definitely a guilt-free dessert!

Author: The Awesome Green

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup almond meal

½ cup buckwheat flour

3 medium carrots, grated

1tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp coconut oil

½ cup almond milk

2 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp nutmeg powder

¼ tsp pink Himalayan salt

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 cup toasted walnuts, crushed

For the frosting

1 cup raw cashews, soaked into purified water overnight, drained

¼ cup almond milk

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175C/346F.

Grease a round baking pan with coconut oil and set aside.

In a large bowl mix the flours, baking soda and powder, spices, salt and walnuts.

Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to incorporate.

Transfer the batter into the baking pan, and bake for 40 mins. Insert a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean, it's ready!

Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Add all the frosting ingredients into the blender and process to obtain a smooth cream.

Spread the frosting on top of the cake, garnish with coconut flakes and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.